Mumbai, June 12 -- The Air India plane disaster on Thursday in Ahmedabad is the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has crashed since the model's introduction in 2011.

On 30 April, the American aircraft manufacturer highlighted the success of the Dreamliner series in a press release, noting that its 1,175 planes had carried 1 billion passengers in 14 years, a record that surpasses any other wide-body commercial aeroplane in history.

"Flying over 1 billion passengers in this relatively short time is a testament to how the airplane has delivered on its promises to transform air travel with operational versatility, efficiency and comfort," said Scott Stocker, Boeing 787 program vice-president and general manager.

Airlines using the Dreamli...